2010 Chevrolet Malibu Brakes Problems
NHTSA has logged 367 brake complaints for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, 27% of all complaints filed for the year, with a median failure mileage of 80,000. Recall 14V252000 covers a related brake wiring issue, tied to 8 crashes and 10 injuries.
- Brakes complaints
- 367
- 27% of 1,361 complaints
- All complaints this year
- 1,361
- Crashes reported
- 8
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 10
- Median mileage
- 80,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical brake symptoms owners report
- Delayed or unresponsive braking where the pedal engages but the car keeps rolling and fails to stop in time, sometimes leading to a collision.
- Sudden total loss of stopping power at low speeds, such as after a car wash or on icy roads, causing crashes.
- Brake pedal that stops the vehicle intermittently but the steering also locks up at the same time as braking.
- Grinding noise from the brakes with increased stopping distance, with pads replaced repeatedly by the dealer without fixing the root cause.
- Brake lights that malfunction, failing to illuminate when the brakes are applied or illuminating when they are not, often paired with traction control and ESC warning lights.
- Electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control warning lights appearing alongside brake-related symptoms, requiring multiple dealer visits.
When 2010 Chevrolet Malibu brake complaints were filed
First complaint May 5, 2010, latest Sep 9, 2026.
Brakes recalls for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu
- NHTSA 14V252000May 14, 2014Brakes2,440,524 vehicles
Electronic stability control (esc)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Brakes complaints by Malibu model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many brake complaints does NHTSA have for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
- NHTSA lists 367 brake complaints for the 2010 Malibu, which is 27% of the 1,361 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a brake recall for the 2010 Chevrolet Malibu?
- Yes. Recall 14V252000 covers 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles for a brake-related wiring harness issue; GM's remedy attaches the wiring harness to the body control module with a spacer and applies dielectric lubricant.
- At what mileage do brake problems typically show up on the 2010 Malibu?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 80,000 miles, though some owners reported issues at much lower mileage.
- Have the 2010 Malibu's brake problems caused crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data tied to this brake complaint set shows 8 crashes and 10 injuries, with no fires reported.
- Is the 2010 Malibu worse for brake complaints than other model years?
- Yes, relative to other Malibu years in this dataset, 2010 has the highest brake complaint share at 27%, just ahead of 2009's 24%.